Batumi container terminal overhauled and expanded
The Philippines-based terminal and port operator ICTSI has formally opened its enlarged Batumi International Container Terminal (BICT) in Georgia. The expansion to improve cargo flow processing and increase capacity involves both the waterside and the landside areas of the multipurpose terminal.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by, inter alia, Giorgi Kobulia, the Georgian minister of the economy and sustainable development, and senior executives from the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the terminal’s principal container customer.
Batumi, unlike Poti, Georgia’s other major port, is accessible throughout the year without closures due to high winds. The overall development programme raises BICT's annual container handling capacity to 200,000 teu and enhances the general cargo and dry bulk handling services.
The expansion scheme forms part of the Georgian government’s plan to strengthen the country’s role as a transport and logistics hub serving the Caucasus and Central Asia. (kd)